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A federal judge in Washington refused Tuesday to throw out criminal charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, NBC News reported.

Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the indictment "falls squarely within that portion of the authority granted to the Special Counsel that Manafort finds unobjectionable," namely the order to investigate any links coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign.

"Manafort was, at one time, not merely 'associated with,' but the chairman of, the Presidential campaign, and his work on behalf of the Russia-backed Ukrainian political party and connections to other Russian figures are matters of public record. It was logical and appropriate for investigators tasked with the investigation of 'any links' between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign to direct their attention to him," the judge wrote.